On Thursday, January 16, U.S. markets ended lower as investors assessed corporate earnings and economic data, weighing the potential for slower Federal Reserve rate cuts. Strong bank results lifted sentiment, while resilient consumer spending and a firm labor market reinforced a cautious market outlook.

According to economic data, U.S. retail sales grew by 0.4% in December, down from a revised 0.8% in November and below the 0.6% forecast. Initial jobless claims rose by 14,000 to 217,000 for the week ending January 11, exceeding the 210,000 estimate.

Most S&P 500 sectors ended higher, led by utilities, real estate, and industrials, while information technology and communication services lagged, closing in the red.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.16% and closed at 43,153.13, the S&P 500 closed lower by 0.21% at 5,937.34, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.89% to finish at 19,338.29.

Aisa Markets Today

Eurozone at 05:30 AM ET

• The European STOXX 50 was up 0.64%.
• Germany's DAX rose 1.03%.
• France's CAC rose 0.88%.
• U.K.'s FTSE index 100 traded higher by 1.05%.

Commodities at 05:30 AM ET

U.S. Futures at 05:30 AM ET

Dow futures were up 0.29%, S&P 500 futures rose 0.33% and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.42%.

Forex at 05:30 AM ET

• The U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.09% to 109.04, USD/JPY gained 0.24% to 155.69, and USD/AUD gained 0.11% to 1.6116.
• The dollar steadied but is set to end its six-week winning streak, pressured by expectations of U.S. rate cuts and Japan's potential rate hike.

Photo by Pavel Bobrovskiy via Shutterstock